Fat Tony (rapper)

Fat Tony

Fat Tony in Brooklyn, New York, 2013.
Background information
Birth name Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu
Born (1988-03-24) March 24, 1988
Origin Third Ward, Houston, Texas
Genres Hip Hop
Occupation(s) rapper, DJ
Instruments vocals, bass guitar
Years active 2005-present
Labels Young One Records[1]
Associated acts Tom Cruz, Das Racist, Supreeme, Murs, Bun B, Kam Franklin, Kechphrase, Big Baby Gandhi
Website fattonyrap.com

Anthony Lawson Jude Ifeanyichukwu Obiawunaotu[2] or Anthony Jude Obi (born March 24,[3] 1988), better known by his stage name Fat Tony, is a Nigerian-American rapper from Houston, Texas.

Fat Tony won the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013 Houston Press Music Awards' Best Underground Hip Hop award,[4][5][6] and has been recognized in URB's "Next 1000", a list of emerging new artists anticipated to breakthrough.[7]

Career

Fat Tony's debut album RABDARGAB was released October 19, 2010 and featured production entirely from Tom Cruz formerly of Atlanta-based rap group Supreeme.[8] The album features appearances by Murs, Negashi Armada aka Blunt Fang from Supreeme, Charly East, Bo. P, Kam Franklin, and Tom Cruz. "RABDARGAB" is a reference to a late 1990s Houston Independent School District campaign aimed at elementary school students to promote literacy by offering $1 to students in exchange for book reports. The acronym stands for "Read a Book – Do A Report – Get a Buck."[9] With the release of this album, Fat Tony ran a promotion entitled LISDARGAB (Listen, Do a Review, Get a Buck) where Fat Tony undertook to send anyone who emailed him a review for RABDARGAB a dollar bill in the mail.[10] The album was preceded by a mixtape release entitled RABDARGAB: The EPreview mixed by Fat Tony's DJ iPod Ammo. The mixtape featured collaborations with Das Racist, Juiceboxxx, HOSPITAL, Jade <3, Tecla, Smash Bro, and more.[11]

On March 24, 2011 he released a remix album entitled SCREWDARGAB. It was a "chopped-up, not slopped up" version of RABDARGAB[12] remixed by Swishahouse co-founder DJ OG RON C.[13]

On June 1, 2012, Young One Records released Double Dragon; a collaborative free album with producer Tom Cruz. Double Dragon features Fat Tony and Tom Cruz performing as a duo and is entirely produced by Tom Cruz.[14] The album is a precursor to Fat Tony's second album Smart Ass Black Boy. In November 2012, Fat Tony released the first single from Smart Ass Black Boy entitled "BKNY".[15][16] In March 2013, Vice Magazine announced the Smart Ass Black Boy album release date and premiered the second single entitled "Hood Party" featuring Kool A.D. and Despot.[17]

Smart Ass Black Boy, Fat Tony's second album, was released June 11, 2013 on Young One Records. The album is produced by Tom Cruz and was written in two days and recorded in four days in Los Angeles, California during April 2012.[18] NPR premiered a full length stream of Smart Ass Black Boy on June 3, 2013 and wrote positively of the album's material.[19] The album received positive reviews from XXL Magazine,[20] Rolling Stone,[21] SPIN,[22] Robert Christgau for MSN,[23] AllMusic,[24] and Houston Press.[25] Pitchfork premiered the "Hood Party" video on the album's release date.[26]

Style and influences

His primary musical influences are drawn from Southern Hip Hop, Underground Hip Hop, West Coast Hip Hop, pop music, and punk rock.[27] Fat Tony has cited artists such as Prince, the Ramones, E-40, Devin the Dude, Black Flag, and A Tribe Called Quest among others as influences.[28]

Personal life and education

Fat Tony lived in the Third Ward area of Houston.[29] Anthony Onyebuchi Obi, Fat Tony's father, is an engineer, and his mother Johnnie is a housewife.[2] Fat Tony's father, an Igbo,[30] fought in a civil war in Nigeria before coming to Houston.[2] Fat Tony attended Carnegie Vanguard High School (Class of 2006[31]) and the University of St. Thomas.[32] He also studied as a communications major at the University of Houston.[33]

In 2008 Fat Tony participated in a charity concert to raise money for prevention and treatment of HIV.[34]

Discography

Studio albums

Remix albums

Compilation albums

Mixtapes

EPs

Singles

Guest appearances

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Young One Records". Young One Records.
  2. 1 2 3 Serrano, Shea. "The Happy Rapper" (Archive). Texas Monthly. June 2013. Retrieved on August 18, 2015.
  3. ↑ Rhodes, Dusti. "Apostle of Hustle." Houston Press. Wednesday January 13, 2010. 2. Retrieved on December 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Fat Tony's 2013 Houston Press Music Award". Fat Tony.
  5. ↑ "2009 Houston Press Music Award Winners". Houston Press.
  6. ↑ "2008 Houston Press Music Awards Recipients List". Houston Press.
  7. ↑ "Urb Magazine :: Next 1000 :: Fat Tony". Urb Magazine.
  8. ↑ "Fat Tony helps keep local sound original – Life & Arts". The Daily Cougar (University of Houston).
  9. ↑ "RAB DAR GAB H.I.S.D. PSA". YouTube.
  10. ↑ "RABDARGAB". Fat Tony.
  11. ↑ "RABDARGAB: THE EPREVIEW". Fat Tony.
  12. ↑ "Fat Tony - SCREWDARGAB: Chopped Not Slopped: DJ OG RON C (File, MP3, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.
  13. ↑ "SCREWDARGAB". Fat Tony.
  14. ↑ "Mixtape Premiere: Fat Tony & Tom Cruz "Double Dragon"". Complex Magazine.
  15. ↑ "Fat Tony "BKNY" Video". Life or Death PR.
  16. ↑ "FAT TONY FEAT. OLD MONEY - "BKNY" (PROD. BY TOM CRUZ) (OFFICIAL VIDEO)". Noisey (Vice).
  17. ↑ "VICE Premiere: "Hood Party" by Fat Tony". VICE United States.
  18. ↑ "NPR premieres Houston rapper Fat Tony's new album". Houston Chronicle.
  19. ↑ "First Listen: Fat Tony, 'Smart Ass Black Boy'". NPR.
  20. ↑ "Fat Tony – 'Smart Ass Black Boy' Album Review'". XXL Magazine.
  21. ↑ "Fat Tony, 'Smart Ass Black Boy'". Rolling Stone.
  22. ↑ "Fat Tony , 'Smart Ass Black Boy' Review'". SPIN Magazine.
  23. ↑ "Fat Tony/Young Fathers'". MSN Entertainment.
  24. ↑ "Smart Ass Black Boy - Fat Tony". AllMusic.
  25. ↑ "Fat Tony Remains Houston's Smart Ass Black Boy On New Album'". Houston Press.
  26. ↑ "Video: Fat Tony Featuring Kool A.D. and Despot: "Hood Party"'"". Pitchfork.
  27. ↑ "Sound Check: Texas proves it's big enough for all types of music – Life & Arts". The Daily Cougar (University of Houston).
  28. ↑ "PODiMOUTH : PODiMOUTH Presents: FAT TONY A short Q&A with...". PODiMOUTH.
  29. ↑ Rhodes, Dusti. "Apostle of Hustle." Houston Press. Wednesday January 13, 2010. 1. Retrieved on July 4, 2010.
  30. ↑ "The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston presents a Halloween Steel Lounge Underground with no tricks just musical treats " (Archive). Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. October 10, 2008. Retrieved on October 28, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Carnegie’s Community Service Requirement." Carnegie Vanguard High School. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "Anthony Obi, who was a member of the 2005-2006 senior class, volunteers at his church by helping out around the building and assisting those in need of a few extra hands."
  32. ↑ Grant, Clyde (interviewer). "Artist Spotlight Love Life." Drench Magazine. Retrieved on July 4, 2010.
  33. ↑ Damante, Mike. "Fat Tony pulls out the stops." The Daily Cougar. Tuesday November 25, 2008. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "Communication junior and emcee Fat Tony brings his fresh lyrical content and fast flows to the streets with The Tipping Point ‘ Fly 68 Presents Fat Tony."
  34. ↑ Kever, Jeannie. "One dream, several lives." Houston Chronicle. December 19, 2008. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. "I definitely don't say 'yes' to everything," said Anthony Obi, a rapper known as Fat Tony. "But some things deserve special consideration."

External links

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